It Is Always Raining Here: A Cielois Two-Shot
by TheCrimsonFlower
Summary: Ciel Phantomhive, The Queens Guard Dog, is utterly bored with his rich and esteemed life. Alois Trancy has it all; money, a rich estate inherited by a dearly departed, sickening father, demonic servants, and not to mention feminine beauty. But he too is bored. What better then to attempt to appease these bored tendencies by wrecking havoc upon those who despise him?
1. Foreword

_You will never know how many miles I will walk to find you, darling._  
 _How many years will go by_  
 _How many roads I will struggle to cross_  
 _How many nights I'll lay down and cry_  
 _How I will be in mourning._

 _But fret not, my lovely, for you shall see,_  
 _What will become of you and me_  
 _Where we will build up from what we lost_  
 _Fantasy to reality_  
 _And together we shall rise in the morning._

 _This is written most eloquently for my parter, my lover, someone most definitely and equally in love with this ship with me, and the best thing in my life._

 _Although it's always raining here, we shall rise._


	2. Part One: The Spider

_"The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout._  
 _Down can the rain and washed the spider out."_

He disliked the gloomy weather. It reminded him of what he felt so long ago. The uncanny suffering that had physically and mentally plagued his mind. The rain was a symbol of his misfortune. The storm clouds that were considered his treacherous past had rolled over him, the heavy downpour was his misery from such traumatic events.

Alois Trancy hated rain.

Too long had it reigned upon him, this rain had. But this was no light drizzle to cool down a heated summer day, this was a monsoon of lecherous proportion forcing him to stay locked inside all on his lonesome in the confines if his overly large, luxuriously stuffy manner.

Of course, the Earl himself was not physically alone, for there were many servants that stalked the very wayward and winding hallways of his massive estate. Many who had taken care of him for quite a prolonged amount of time. They were of a different sort and their master held his expectation of their obligational performances whether they were to clean him up or simply just to entertain the blonde. He held them accountable for almost everything around the manor.

Anyone who hadn't truly gotten to know Earl Trancy would think him mad on the grounds as to what he would order his servants to follow through on. For they did not know simply one of the deep secrets that had enveloped this young boy. Only at the age of fourteen, Alois Trancy had suffered enough loss and anguish to last him a lifetime.

But that was unimportant to Alois, for it was simply the past. For it was simply rain. There was nothing to fear any longer, as now he was free from the burdens that had once pillaged his proud, strengthening soul.

He sat at his study, elbow perched upon the mahogany desk, hand suspending his head which hung lazily as he watched the rain drizzle and splatter aimlessly onto the windows. The blonde Earl let out a small sigh, wishing for the rain to cease, wishing for something to greatly occupy his mind other than this horrid downpour that spilled outside of his homestead.

"Master," a deep voice called from behind the door and Alois Trancy snapped his sharp, icily ironic gaze over to the threshold in which his butler was standing behind the thin layer of wood which divided his study from the adjacent hallway. Alois almost stood up in pure excitement, alas, he needn't the outside when he had his trustworthy manservant to occupy his waking days for what could feel like an eternity.

"Come in, Claude," he said, straightening up the papers in his desk, ruffling them up some to look as if he was busy with work yet he knew he had none.

In came his most handsome butler, waist coat draped down at his sides most suavely, his hair swept to one side in an incredibly attractive manner. His appearance always excelled Alois's expectations and the rambunctious teen earl most approved of it.

His manservant had wheeled in a metallic tray, one the blonde had seen many times before, up to the front of the oaken desk. Claude straightened his glasses and took up a medium-sized porcelain teapot, one Alois had never seen before yet he recalled the man informing him of an arrival of a new set of silver and glassware had arrived just yesterday, carefully Claude had poured in the steaming liquid into a white cup with blueish trim, setting it down in front of the other with a delicate manner.

Alois snatched up the teacup with vigor, two fingers and his thumb wrapped around the handle to prevent himself from being burnt. He held it up to his lips, closing his eyes to inhale the flavorful aroma and then blew way the steam before taking a small sip, swishing the steaming liquid in his mouth. The boy let it singe his tongue and mouth despite the pain he had felt, and then let the scorching tea flow down his throat. He opened his eyes and ran his charred tongue over the roof of his mouth as he smirked up at his butler. There, he sat the cup down and let out a satisfied grunt, perking his eyebrows tauntingly.

"New Moon Drop," he identified the taste with ease.

"I hope it is to your liking, master," Claude replied with the twitch of his mouth, hands folded affront of him neatly. "As I know of late, it is your favored tea when prepared properly."

It was all a bit pathetic to Claude. What he was forced to do to get a wonderful meal such as his master. All the effort he was required to put in was a bit sickening to say the least. All the clothing, the feeding, the serving of this one spoiled child with a panic-stricken backstory. Whatever Claude thought of the other though it didn't matter, for you see, this child _was_ Claude's in the end no matter how much he was forced to suffer.

Yes, Claude was not just a man, no, he surpassed such identification from the moment he was born within the evil that was the sable obscurity of hell. Claude was not just a talented manservant, but much more. He was an entity of great degeneracy and malevolence and would not be taken for granted.

Alois was pleased and let out a small chuckle, wrapping his hands around the cup, now that it had cooled down, "Yes, you do know me well, don't you my Claude..." he cocked his head at the other and leaned back in his seat. Trancy's magnificent azure orbs flickered back over to the drenched window and once more he let out a depressed sigh.

"It is raining," he said in an uninteresting tone.

"So it is," Claude acknowledged equally dully. He just stood there, towering over the other as his silent, sinister sentinel.

"What am I to do, Claude?" Alois asked in an annoyed voice, huffing with tedious agitation, he placed his head on the desk and listened to the clock monotonously tick back and forth.

 _Tick_.

 _Tock._

 _Tick_.

 _Tock._

"There is nothing for myself to-" he began but then he sat up and a cruel smile laced across his face as he stared at his butler attempting to seem relatively intimidating. He stood up and placed his hands behind his back, his fingers locking together tightly. "Entertain me, Claude." he said in a most nasty tone, leaning over the desk.

"How shall I do so, master?" Claude asked pointedly, it was not hard to conceal the smirk that brewed on his internal features, "There are many ways, after all..."

Alois glared at his servant with vexation imminent in his voice. He placed both hands on his hips testily and glowered upwards at the taller, "You know very well how to entertain me, _Claude_." the fiery way the small earl snapped the others name was most cruelly. He was a pot of boiling water who would sooner or later burst with a loud whistle of alarm. Alois was far from patient, others waited on him certainly _not_ the other way around, after all.

"Do I?" Claude asked, facade still plastered expertly on his features. "You see, I always knew little children were fond of entertainment yet-"

Alois had snapped as easy as it was to break a flimsy twig. He had taken the teacup and thrown the hot liquid all down Claude's uniform and then smashed it on the ground, the plate included. The butler felt the torrid fluid drip down his face, but did nothing as it singed his face. He stood there, feeling ultimate pleasure where as a human would feel fiery pain on their skin. It slid down his glasses and moodily, Claude wiped them on his shirt. "Was that entertaining?" he asked dryly.

Alois howled in rage and stomped off, heels roughly clanking on the wooden floorboards, "Pick it all up, Claude!" he hissed and exited the room, slamming the door shut violently. "Incapable bastard..." Claude heard the other curse and mumble under his breath until his master was far from the room. It had not bothered him of course, for he had technically had done nothing wrong, clarification was what was missing from the event and Alois of course was not going to properly partake whatsoever.

Claude began to pick up the glass shards, clinking them into the main piece of porcelain that was the least broken. Quickly, he worked, day into night, salt into sugar, living into dead, mess to perfection; that was what made a Trancy butler.

Once it was all cleaned he was about to emerge from the study of his master only to find Hannah in the hallway awaiting him.

"He is troubled," she said simply, looking down, "Something about him... reeks of loneliness.."

The spider said nothing as he continued to amble down the hallway, Hannah continuing to follow, fresh bandages dressed upon her severed eye where the master had brutally punished her prior. Her footsteps matched the lightness of Claude's, yet there were many more as she ushered to keep up with him on her own. "Claude," Hannah insisted, "Claude, can't you see it... Don't you care about his happiness...?"

Claude paused at the edge of the stairs as she spoke, quickly slicking back his hair before turning ever so slightly to face her. "If he is lonely, it is not our place to say so. I believe you do forget yourself," he then began to climb down the stairs solemnly, composure racked in the tenfold.

"Claude! Claude! Claude, come quick!" Alois laughed happily an hour later, his old mood renewed into something much more admirable. He dashed into the dining hall, heels skidding on the floor as he ecstatically sought out his butler. "Claude!"

Claude heard the summons and quickly filed upwards into the glimmering hall, the tint on his glasses sparkling ever so slightly as he approached his hyperactive master with a calm and cold attitude.

"Master, what is it you wish?" he asked in a most bored tone, pulling up his sleeves ever so slightly.

"Claude! I have found what can improve this tedious atmosphere!" he exclaimed, plucking a flower out one of many vases strewn across the dining table. He took the chrysanthemum and held it up to his nose, inhaling the sweet aroma before giggling. "We shall go on a visit, yes!"

"A visit to where, master?" Claude asked in what he assumed to be an enlightening tone but in the end it turned out to be very unexcited altogether.

"To the Phantomhive manor of course!" Alois replied in a jovial tone, "I'm sure that snotty clod would love to see me!"

Claude felt one corner of his mouth perk up at the inaccuracy of that statement knowing full well the other duo of Ciel Phantomhive and his butler, Sebastian Michaelis would express the utmost hesitated aggravation of the sight of his most annoyingly jubilant aristocrat that Claude just so happened to be working under.

"Alas, I would think invitation would be m-"

"Claaaaude," Alois said in a light and most bouncy voice. His nose suddenly curled up and there was a very wicked expression flattened onto the blonde's face, "I don't caaare what you think, silly~" he clapped his hands together and went right back to giggling like a little maiden, "I say we are going to Ciel's and that is final!" he stamped his foot down impatiently and then whined, at Claude who was just sitting in front of him with his brows pinched upwards, "What are you doing just standing there like an oaf, Claude! Get me a carriage!"

Claude bowed ever so slightly, "As you wish," he said and then exited from the room to call over one of the three twins to prepare a ride to the Phantomhive estate despite the demon's wishes. But alas, it was never up to him, for such a delectable soul he had given himself up for the wishes of a wild awry teenager. It would all be worth it in the end, of course. Oh yes, indeed. Despite all of the blondes trifle requests and obnoxious tendencies in the end his soul was damned to be Claude's dinner.

Alois was over the moon, spinning around the dining hall in his elegant designer mauve coat, laughing joyously over the thought of Ciel greeting him with a scowl of disapproval as he always did. The silly brat always hid his surprise and excitement when the other came to visit, coating himself in a thick, pessimistic layer of unruly disdain. Alois leaned against the wall and emitted a soft, feminine sigh, slinking down a bit in his heeled boots, a goofy smile plastered on his face as he dreamed of what he would do with Ciel in possibly an hour or two's time.

Alois had never thought of contemplating that the little Phantomhive had anything exceptionally important to do than other than entertain and unexpected visitor that miraculously waltzed through the door, Trancy being it this time. The earl was sure that the other, even though Phantomhive would shower him with irritation and curses, the blue-haired boys very own butler would find a way to please Alois anyways, as whatever-his-name-was was a man of the people, pleasing them until they had a wondrous time- nay, a more of an incubus altogether, a much more charismatic demon than his Claude, but of course no one could be better than his lovely Claude.

The adolescent aristocrat grew more than antsy as he awaited the summons from his most faithful manservant to climb into a lovely burgundy carriage to carry him north to the Phantomhive estate.

After what felt like hours, yet in reality was merely fifteen minutes, Alois had sat in every seat in his long navy dining hall, sucked on his lip until it went dry, picked away all of his cuticles and many more tedious tasks had been complete within the duration of those minuscule yet lengthy minutes. Claude re-entered the hall pushing both doors open with two equally limber hands. He slicked back his hair and readjusted his glasses, "We are prepared to descend north, master," he approached the other who had seated himself on one of the many chairs. The butler sailed forth on his identical light feet and swooped down impressively, kneeling before Alois in an obedient manner, he held out his crispy gloved hand. Within the contents of the wrinkles upon his butler's fabric-covered palm laid his master's golden ring glistening under the twinkling candlelight of the chandelier. "We shall leave whenever you are ready, your highness..."

Alois's pale, milky lips stretched into a prided smile as he slipped the ring upon his finger, pupils sparkling down upon the crimson gemstone embedded within the middle. He watched as Claude kept his position, he knew full well the other would stay like this until he, the master, would arise from his seat. Tis it was a common act of respect to both those who were superior and to those who just so happened to be quite smaller than their servants.

The earl of Trancy loosened a dark giggle from his mouth when the name he had ordered the other to call him rolled off his servants tongue. Swiftly, Alois leaned forward a bit and swept both hands underneath Claude's well chiseled jaw, yanking the spider's head upward, forcing the inhumanly possible man to meet his master in the eye.

Claude, who assumed this was a test of obedience and was simply not in the mood to lose ocular sight as the scullery maid had, peered away. At this Alois grinned, taking one hand off from underneath Claude's chin and adjusted his head to where is eyes were forced to view his superior.

With the cluck of his tongue Alois found satisfaction in his position he had put the both of them in, "What a good Claude..." he cooed, "It is quite alright for you to look at me in the eye, _this time_... I am just taking in your pretty little features..." Alois bent his head down further, his lips extremely close to the taller's ear, "Why don't you tell me what I am again? I do love hearing your lovely words preach their oath to my title, O endearing Claude..."

"Yes, your highness," Claude murmured instantly after the blonde's breathy request, his golden eyes drizzled with a honeysuckle tint countered most challengingly with his masters own icy gaze. Claude was the slightest bit irritated, for in fact, he was always a slight bit irritated, there was no helping that fact whatsoever. His master was so insistent on leaving, why now did he try to attempt some formulation of intimidation upon his butler? "If you wish to make it to the Phantomhive residence in a timely fashion despite this rainstorm, I suggest we leave immediately, _your_ _highness_..."

And there were the intoxicating words that slipped out of Claude's mouth that just made Alois's knees quake with unruly dictation. How high up in the air he felt when that simple phrase was uttered from the paling, soft lips that were his manservant's. Alois stood and ran his hands through Claude's smooth hair before allowing his demon to stand as well. Alois playfully winked at the other, "I'll be waiting in the carriage Claaaude~!" He called as the Queen's Spider skipped out merrily into the carriage.

Clause sighed a bit in relief of the others absence and pushed his glasses back properly onto his nose, for having his head tucked down had made them slide down his bridge. He began to trudge out to where he instructed had the triplets park the carriage.

As he promised, his little meal had situated himself inside the contents of the sleek kicking his leg around in a most childish manner. Canterbury lounged on the side of the carriage with his two brothers, Timber and Thompson, they were secretly whispering among themselves which couldn't help but make Claude smirk ever so slightly. Claude of course, heard every word they had said even though they had to quiet themselves, considering what they always said was absolutely inappropriate and audacious. The master, who tried very hard at first to prevent it, eventually gave in considering they could not habitually stop. Claude had them quiet their gossip for the benefit of the young master, for it was as far as he could go to stop their ignorant squabbling among themselves.

Claude shooed them to the side as he began to climb atop to hold the reigns but was abruptly interrupted as the carriage door swung open madly.

" _What_ do you think you're doing, Claude?" Alois flared at him, hands planted firmly on his hips.

"Do you have any particular objection to me driving the carriage, master?" Claude stiffly asked as the triplets began to whisper within demonic earshot.

"The master's obsessed," Timber sniggered."

"Infatuated, more-like," piped up Canterbury.

"Daddy issues, no doubt," Thompson commented.

Their insubordinate prattle was enough to irk Claude very much but it did give him sight of the situation. He sighed fervently, climbing off of the carriage. "Do you wish me inside, master? To give such an equivalently laborious job for myself to a lower servant?"

Alois nodded, and Claude quickly took off his glasses and swiped them clean of any fog on his glove. The humidity in the air was enough to make one with impaired vision and in need of ocular support not the safest of drivers, and perhaps it was better for the safety of his master to have a driver with better sight so they did not crash on the slippery roads. Henceforth why Claude volunteered himself, so the possibility of his master's death would be somewhere within the chances of this feat, his soul could come to him early...

But of course, the master could not make things easier for him whatsoever.

"I wonder what the master wants Claude for...?" Thompson whispered to his brothers.

"To breast feed him, obviously," Timber replied just as quietly.

"Sickening, that is!" Canterbury scoffed in a hushed voice.

They all nodded in agreement simultaneously.

The side of Claude's mouth twitched as he tried to pay no mind to their foul-tongued banter. They were certainly ill bred, there was no denying that yet if the young master wished for him to ride along he'd have no choice but to comply. Perhaps he could manage with one of the three nuisances, considering he would have absolutely no one to talk to except think the disgusting thoughts that swarmed in his degenerate mind.

"Canterbury," Claude prompted the name most unemotionally, all three servants jumped up and straightened their back staring back at the head butler with curious crimson eyes.

Yet, standing attentive they still whispered back and forth.

"Did he say my name?"

"Pretty sure he did, mate,"

"Poor bastard, we'll pray for you."

Claude snapped his fingers coolly, "Canterbury, take the reigns," he ordered and ducked himself inside the contents of the carriage. Alois smiled excitedly and laced his arms around Claude's pulling himself in a sloth-like position onto his butler tightly clinging on him with anticipating vigor.

"Mmmm, I never want to let you go," the blonde crooned, looking up at Claude for any remote signs of affection. Claude himself knew what the master sought after and was not one to easily break stoic character for the sake of what was simply a fiery child. He said nothing and kept his eyes averted affront on the adjacent wall of the carriage, jaw clenched tightly as his master clung to him, causing a stiffening discomfort.

Claude lifted one arm up, the one that was free from Alois's tightening grasp and gripped his palm into a fist reaching to knock on the carriage ceiling to signal their preparation to descend out into the monsoon their master was so insistent on departing into.

Alois frowned in annoyance as he had not gotten any facial response or even recognition for that matter from Claude. It was puzzling, how one could be so bloody quiet. Oh, how Alois wanted to crack open that fine, handsome head and peek in at the man's most deepening thought. To know what pleased him, to know what his ambitions were, to understand what about himself irked Claude so. His ambitious gaze hardened into Claude much further as it strongly ate away at him at the fact that he could simply not know.

Of course, Alois had tried numerous of times to know by ordering Claude to speak his mind, pressuring him to tell him what lurked behind those golden eyes, behind the pincers and weavings of such a venomous spider. What brewed in the inner works of such a luxuriously well-shaped head... But alas, the more he asked the more distant Claude became. The more he inquired, the shorter and more stoic the answers became. The more he questioned Claude's mind, the more questionable topic of Claude's loyalty became.

"You won't ever leave me, will you Claude?" Alois asked in an elated tone closing his eyes jovially as his skin basked in the warmth of Claude's sable sleeve. "Tell me you'll stay forever!"

At this, Claude peered down at the young master and shot him a cold smile masqueraded with a wild plethora of heat, as if it had been sitting on a burner for hours, soaking in the very meaning of the flame. Claude took his one free hand that was not smothered by Alois and cupped the boys soft cheeks, gently pulling him upward to meet the stare of a malicious beast, masked as an obedient, inferior, loyal servant.

"Claude...?" Alois whispered in a hushed, shaken voice, hands digging into the others coat quite roughly. He eagerly awaited the response of his butler, desperately perking up his listening ears as if he was tuning into the word of God.

His smirk of mixed temperature grew upon his face as Claude finally parted his lips to speak, quit enjoying the scene Alois was making; scorching desperation for what he adored... Somehow, even though he greatly immersed himself at the wondrous sight before him, Claude couldn't help but feel a twinge of pathetic sickness, brewing, bubbling, even toiling within the contents of his human forms stomach.

"My highness," the spider spoke, wetting his bottom lip slightly, as the young boy hungrily stared at him as if he was to eat his words in sheer devotion towards his butler, "I shall stay as long as fate intends us bound together."

The small smile that Alois bore upon his face melted away like a lit candle, eyes creasing downwards in frustration. There Claude went, uttering his half-assed contractional obligations. Claude should have been licking his boots because he had the delectable soul, he was the one who the demon was enraptured by, nothing else but pure, sadistic, infatuation to enlighten and forevermore consume Alois's waking days for as long as he could manage to hang on without his all the more expected yet quite untimely death.

He looked away from his butler and crossed his arms, anger festering quite splendidly within his chest. He pinched shut his eyes and tried to focus on something else besides unprecedented rage, the heavy pattering of raindrops slapping down upon the carriage roof, the mahogany clacking of wheels down a gravelly road, something to tear himself away from the uncontrollable flame that was kindling deep inside of him, rapidly catching aflame the bonfire that surrounded his scorching soul, letting uncanny disappointment burn deep within.

He felt the nerves in his eyebrows twitching something awful without his telling to, his light blue eyes becoming darker, even more hazed in malicious fury. Claude was all the more neutral in this situation. He was disloyal. Alois could hardly tolerate such depravity, such coldness, such walls Claude had built around himself- but it was much more than walls altogether it was a fortress he had constructed; a fortress of impenetrable stone cascading around every inch of his body that made the butler able claim himself as his own.

Vexation arose even more within the mischievous mind of the young earl, you see Claude was not permitted to own himself. His services, his entireness belonged to Alois, and Alois alone. The selfish, spoiled blonde child was not about to have to share his darling Claude with _anyone_ , not even with Claude himself. He would not let the sable-haired demon have control of himself or have dominance in any way or remote formulation. He wanted Claude to relinquish himself as a whole, not only a fraction of his service. To think that Alois wouldn't have realized what his servant was attempting. To do a half-assed job. He wanted contractional obligations, well Alois would sure give him _one_ _hell_ of a time.

He would not gain the affections of that horrendous spider, but that was fine. He would be a bit blue on the account of finally acknowledging the truth about Claude's disinterest in Alois and his soul... That it was simply just a prolonged job that his poor, misfortunate butler was forced to serve more than he wished. Alois could tell, sooner or later his beloved spider would soon tire of his sorry antics... And... Would he ever try to evict Alois's soul from his body far earlier than it was expected?

What trivial and all the more nonsensical babbling was actually running through Alois's mind n that moment, honestly? He was losing it... Perhaps this was what Claude was trying to do, back the blonde into a corner and then... Take his dues and split...?

No, no. That was ridiculous. Alois shook his head, trying to recollect himself quickly as he could. This was certainly not the rime to psych himself out by over thinking all these preposterous notions about his dear Claude. Alois decided best to try to just stop thinking about it, for many men developed malady from being locked away in the the contents of their minds.

He was to arrive at Ciel's estate soon. The lovely distraction would soon envelope him and soon Alois would not have a care in the world because he could retreat from his woes and worries on his servants indiscretions and push back his burdens. Even if it was just for a short while, he'd know a far-off, fleeting taste of sincere, succulent freedom.

That would have to be enough for Alois Trancy, at least for now.

The carriage ride the rest of the way was a stunned, tense silence that enraptured both Claude and his master. It had obviously affected Alois much more than it had Claude, for the head butler reveled in a plentiful silence that his young master rarely permitted him to have during the day time, for his waking days were consumed of aiding the smaller hand and foot back and forth, running around, cooking, cleaning, following through on meaningless tasks to soothe the boys corrupted, gentle mindset tainted with this metaphorical game tug-o-war fighting to determine whether he was kneeling under the heavy-weighed tenacious beat-down of submissiveness. He was trying. He was really trying to push past his past, there was a positive (or quite possibly negative) breakthrough that now twisted his ginger brain int a delusion that he finally had control of himself.

To Claude, humans were most influential and repetitive creatures.

Especially the younger ones, for that matter, so easily convinced and influenced...

Alois eyes lit up with eagerness as he quickly pushed past Claude in an extremely crude manner and swung open the carriage door before a cloaked and vicarious Canterbury could slickly slip off of his post and do it himself. The carriage door was lethargically thrown open without much care and rammed the poor triplet in the face, causing him to fall square on his rear in the mud-embedded stone, soaking his attire. Claude insistently lifted him up and ordered him briefly to find parking, taking pity on how drenched the domestic serf currently was but how relieved Claude was that that was not him in the moment.

Alois ripped open both doors with an accelerated amount of energy, hair sopping wet, slapping down over his eyes. In between haughty triumphant laughs he decided to announce his dilapidated arrival to the estate.

"CIELLLL~!?" He screeched out, a mild-wide grin plastered distractingly on his dripping features, water running down his nose, splashing onto the floor as rain began to shoot sideways wetting the threshold of the front doors.

He had arrived.

And to think Ciel Phantomhive actually thought he was going to have a calm day locked within the refines of his glorious mansion with much to do and read and draw and practice, keeping his young adolescent mind at bay from his own lecherous past. With the calling of his name he jumped out of his seat unexpectedly, dropping the book he was reading on the floor with a soft thud, and resented the day he was born.

Squeezing the bridge of his nose with agitated mortification he picked up his thin tome and set it on the table beside him, beginning to make his way to the assumed place the sudden, interruptive summons, "Please just let it be Lizzy, for the love of God just...let it be Lizzy..."

He relinquished all religious faith the moment he set eyes on Alois Trancy.

Atop of the staircase, Ciel Phantomhive, with a tight and very firm grip on the banister, he regretfully began to step downwards, as if he was falling into the arms of a predator much more frightening then Sebastian himself. To Alois, he befit the description of an ebon angel as he fleetingly stepped down each stair with a tender finesse. The raven-hued shorts he sported went exceptionally well with his darkening forest green vest, the shirt underneath a pure white absence, a complimentary black ribbon draping down to the first button of the younger's vest.

For how little Phantomhive was he made a tall stand with his pride.

"Earl of Trancy," he frowned, hissing his acknowledgement towards the other villainous aristocrat with an obvious, strained disdain, "Whatever have I deserved to be pained by your visit-" he sighed once more and waved his hand off at Alois very detestably "-Shut the door will you? You may be soaked but I will not have my home turn to the same way."

Trancy warily shuddered at the cold words and did something he thought he'd never have to do again; obey another human being. Swiftly, he shut the door just before Claude himself slipped in, hardly wet at all. Alois was upset that Ciel viewed him as nothing but a nuisance, he wanted to be something much more to the other despite what anyone else thought despite the concept of taboo within the certain formulation of relationship that Alois desired to have with the blue-haired beauty that stood a shorter stance affront of him.

Claude towered over both boys, glazing his ferocious, desirable gaze down pointedly at the little Phantomhive, "The master wished to pay you a visit," he simply explained, wiping the raindrops that had splattered onto his lenses. He was certain that you must've felt the tediousness he did and wanted to amend such trivial feelings," he agilely swiped his glasses back on the tip of his nose and pushed them back.

Alois, unexpectedly dove forward and clung to Ciel inviting forcefully a wet, sloppy hug once he was at the bottom of the stairs, "Because you and I are so alike, you know, Ciel?! I thought it'd be a jolly good time to have some fun together, I did!"

Ciel's one viewable eye opened wide in sheer terroristic discomfort, not at all enjoying the closeness or the moistness Alois had thrown him into, he emitted a frustrated grunt and pushed the other back against his butler with a confusing whimper. "Don't touch me! You pitiful wretch!" He couldn't feel it, but Alois smirked in satisfaction as he watched the slightest of a pink blush trace across the younger boys face.

"Young master," a ginger hand planted on Ciel's shoulder, he weaved around, his clothing now damp and began to stick to him, to set his eyes infuriatingly on his own butler, Sebastian. Ciel just emptily stared at him, lips parted as he breathed heavier than they previously had been, fists balled up. Sebastian gazed down at him with a worried expression but then turned to Claude and then smiled, cocking his head slightly. "Come now, Claude, it appears both our masters could use some cleaning up. Up the stairs, third door on the right is a guest room with spare attire I'm sure will be just fine for the Earl Trancy if not the slightest bit tight..."

Quickly, Sebastian tucked some stray hairs behind his ear and then continued his happy facade towards the other butler, the two teens just standing idly by, "Then, whenever you are ready, it'd be most appreciated if you could assist me with lunch in the kitchen while the masters... 'Play' if you will..."

Ciel barred his teeth and glowered upwards at his manservant while Alois turned beet red, looking at the floor.

Claude grunted an incoherent response as if he acknowledged an understanding of what was just said by the Raven, who tightly held onto his master and with a devious smirk, scooped him up, "We shall see you seen then, yes?"

"H-Hey! Sebastian! Put me down, you bastard!"

"See you soon Cieeeellll~!" Alois called as he raced up the steps, unbelievably joyous over his triumph.

He had made it successfully to the house of Phantomhive despite what anyone else thought, especially Claude and was preparing to have a luncheon with the Queen's favorite little puppy. Who needed Claude? He had a new toy.

For Ciel was now his favorite little pup as well...

 _"Out came the sun and dried up all the rain_  
 _And guided the spider away from all it's pain_  
 _The itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again"_


	3. Part Two: The Canine

_"The bark and then the bite._  
 _Which will kill you more?_  
 _My teeth can rip you to pieces_  
 _But drivel words can far more shake your core,"_

Ciel Phantomhive was surprised at the rainfall the morning he awoke. Never had he received so many surprises in one day, and never had he expected them to become more and more gruesomely agitating as the day progressed most miserably. Alois Trancy was his latest... 'Greatest...' Surprise. The most unexpected one of them all.

Was it an unfortunate surprise, though? That was what Ciel was trying to figure out himself as his butler escorted him to his private sleeping quarters to fish out alternative apparel to replace the moistly damp clothing that had clung to his now slicked skin from the overbearing greeting from the Earl of Trancy.

"Well, isn't someone quite excited to bask within your company," Sebastian crooned, a dark taunting undertone sliding within his voice causing Ciel to scoff annoyingly with an abrupt, _tch_. His butler slowly undid his vest, folding it up and placing it on the edge of the bed. "You should feel very honored, my lord."

"It is not like I shall enjoy his ridiculous company, mind your place." He crossed his arms, legs already overlapping one another in a testy manner, Ciel glowered as he allowed his manservant to slip off the young boys shirt, replacing it with a fresh one, the linen feeling most crisp as it ran against his tenderized skin. He burned his uncovered eye into the demon's own hazy, dully crimson gaze, Ciel Phantomhive was an intimidator, not one easily pushed into submissiveness, this hard internal shell was another glorious trait Sebastian adored about his little master, "Besides, we shall serve him lunch and I shall entertain him with a game and then he shall be on his way; out of our hair for the longest of times until the next time he decides to show up because he is a pathetic, needy little bastard with no one to give him any remote affection be because he is an annoying, selfish brat.

"He does not truly care for me or have deepened feelings for myself, he just projects a repressed, misunderstood confusion of why no one will feel an ounce of fondness for him onto me, distracting himself from the fact he is unloved by showering yours truly in unwanted affection. You see, Sebastian, he thinks because of his past I will take pity on him and at least entertain the idea that I could share true affections in return... But..." As his butler finally pulled up a clean pair of shorts a deep, mischievous smile befell the blue-haired boys face. "...I find it truly pathetic..."

Sebastian himself felt a small smile of approval crawl up onto his lips. Yes, the sadistic creature that from time-to-time possessed his young master was a beast he knew of too well for he was enticed greatly by its malevolent and marvelously cruel capabilities. It was one of the many things that made his soul so fascinating because in the very end after all the horrid actions and all of the suffering and sinful deeds his young master had pushed through and committed, his soul remained white as ocean foam, as clear as shimmering crystal with the reflection of the setting sun. Elegant, tasteful; when it was all over, Sebastian would greatly enjoy the hardiest dinner he'd have for centuries.

"Quite savage, my lord," Sebastian teased properly, with that, Ciel who was standing, arms out so Sebastian could place another coat upon his shoulders, smirked most darkly.

"Not quite," the little Phantomhive whispered audaciously, bottom lip curled over the top in a cocky beam. At the thought of entertaining Alois, his blood curdled, the smirk he bore slipping askew on his features. Ciel blew up his hair in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Come, let us get this over with, yes?" he said to his trusty butler who swiftly handed Ciel his ebony cane once more. The earl clanked it to the ground, loving the cracking sound it had made. He shook the hair out of his eye and readjusted his eyepatch, beginning to exit the quarters, shoes clacking on the mahogany wood beneath him.

Sebastian nodded his head, turning this movement into a sharp bow, following suit. He took in the little earl's sophisticated steps, how his hips swayed side to side smoothly. His mannerisms were most gentlemanly to say the least, yet his verbosity was a bit over-the-top.

Nevertheless, he would make a fine meal.

Alois groaned impatiently as Claude worked upon his drenched body, a towel was dropped unprofessionally on his head, the fabric draping over him childishly. He glared at Claude feverishly as he bounced his right leg up and down in quite the antsy manner, unable to contain his enthrailed excitement.

"Hurry up, will you Claude, I haven't got all day!" he barked, nose pointed down at the other testily.

Claude desperately withheld his querulous groan of agitiation as he scrubbed the towel a bit rougher than he should of over Alois's hair. He then moved down and began to scrub the stripped boys pale skin, wrapping the towel around the others lap, so at least his young master could have privacy, making sure his groin-area was absolutely not viewable. Of course such things never did interest Claude. He was simply not the kind of demon, that variation of sin had never really fueled him to continue the dark path of malevolency... That was certainly not what made him a demon, he was hardened, trained to pay no specific from such things. For it was boring, immaculate, trivial in his honey golden eyes.

Alois watched him work, a light blush pulling on his face as he let the other work away as Claude moved the towel harshly on him, wiping away the water that had seeped through his soaked attire. He frowned even more, it becoming even more evident that Claude had lost interest in much more than sex itself. For it was obvious now, even at the sight of his exposed self, that the demon simply did not treasure or adore him.

"Claude," he said waspishly, narrowing his eyes at the other, "Claude, why don't you love me?"

Claude said nothing and slipped a clean shirt over the boy's head with no hesitation. He remained unfocused on Alois's words as if me mentally was pulling away from the question altogether. It made him more than experience discomfort, there was pure unease coating the butler's facial expression as if he trying to swallow it all in his throat at once, fighting to keep down the immense amount of tension.

With his silence, Alois grew even more vexed. He yanked Claude by the collar and pulled him down. For Alois's satisfaction Claude made himself light on his feet so his master could seem stronger than himself, so he could assert his dominance. Claude was taught this by Alois the first week of their contract and was luckily a fast learner.

Alois snarled in a way a small pup would try his attempt at intimidation; to say the least it was not very knee-quivering whatsoever but of course Claude also had been taught since birth, pre and post demonization to keep what's in your head in your head. Your actions count more than your words so just choke them down. Claude knew the young master was more than irascibly outraged at him with his lack of reply so he avoided any form of eye contact with the younger, more dominant male. He kept those honey eyes pointed submissively at the floor, an expression that blatantly read: 'God, when can this just _end'_ painted across his facial frontage.

Alois tightened his grip on Claude, his fingers beginning to wrap around the spider demon's throat. "Answer me, Claude." He ordered, teeth seethed, spit speckling upon the others cheek. "Why. Don't. You. Love. Me?"

Claude could think of a million answers that would be considered crass and insubordinate which he more than ironical since he always prided himself on a sophisticated, classy, _proper_ thought process. He had to tread lightly on this subject matter, for he greatly disliked the thought of losing his tongue. It'd take quite a long while to grow back, after all.

"I simply cannot feel love, surely, you of all people, your highness, would know what I am." He shot his eyes momentarily at the other and just as quick as he planted them upon his young master, they were immediately already off of their contact but how Alois watched them glide into his gaze curtly. The look Claude had rapidly shot towards the other had burned in his optical spectrum and forced his blood to pump and furiously circulate in bitter torrential inflammation.

As agilely as Claude had shot such an indescribably disrespected glance towards his young (yet sadistically prime) superior, he smacked the butler most lecherously across the face. Claude simply sat there, the same infamous scowl planted on his most attractive features, feeling the prickling sensation of the back of Alois's hand striking against his dully toned flesh.

"That's right," Alois sneered, "I know exactly _what_ you are, Claude," he dug his sharp nails into demon's pale cheeks until the butler's thick, crimson blood trickled upon Claude, as it oozed downward leaving a reddened trail in its wake. "You're _mine,"_ he giggled sinisterly, a mischievous smile temporarily donning his lips only for it to disappear. "And you will do as I say, yes?"

"It is a butlers duty to follow through upon the masters orders until he is incapable of doing so," the servant rambled off, not bothering to wipe the blood off his chin as it dripped down to the floor.

"Then, you shall love me, is that clear?" Alois cooed, taking his index finger and swiped up the burgundy trail and popped it into his mouth.

Claude adjusted his glasses and bowed before his master, the side of his moth twitching. This was a soul he had simply lost interest in, it was a soul that was being drowned in the demons personal greed. He needn't desire to sin upon the shores of lust but of greed, for it enveloped him like ocean waves crashing to land with an undeniable power.

"Yes, your highness."

"Glad we're on the same page then, hm?" He laughed hollowly, "You taste something dreadful... I don't know how you demons crave such fluids... I must taste much sweeter, hmm?" The blonde began to skip out the door merrily, as he out his hand on the knob and was about to twist it, Claude decided to correct him, standing straight with admirable posture once more.

Claude took off his spectacles and wiped them on his gloves, something he had done a million times, he almost had as frequent as he had assessed Alois's soul to points where the demon would drool like a common hound dog, "Spicy,"

The blue-eyed boy paused in his tracks, turning slightly, hair drying extremely fast. "What was that, Claude?" He shuddered, keeping his voice steady. It was horrifying knowledge, to know how you tasted. It was ominous and unsettling knowledge, to know that the one who had taken care of you was secretly sizing you up from the shadows, only mothering you for the time when it came to have you as a feast... It had made Alois a ball of sickening nerves, to comprehend that Claude would only amount to a thespian, pretending to have any remote endearment towards himself...

It was the best Alois would receive, maybe sooner or later he'd fall in a delusive state of mind where he could just wake up and not have to worry about Claude's affections; he could just believe it and be happy.

"Spicy," Claude repeated simply, not caring the slightest about his words. "If you were wondering, master,"

"I was not,"

"My apologies then, sir,"

Without another word, the earl of Trancy the left before the crawling, chaotic anxiety Claude had tauntingly plagued him with. He tightly made his way down the steps, thanking whatever Gods were out there for the beautiful distraction that would be Ciel.

Alois, now dressed in a azure vest over his white dress shirt, groaned about the longer length of his new black shorts as they tightly hugged his legs, and instead of his acquainted socks which ran way up to his thighs, he was stuck with sporting a deep midnight blue ones, that flashed his knobby knees for the whole world to see. To put it blatantly, without his regular thigh-highs to cover his legs, Alois felt utterly exposed and very uncomfortable in such odd attire. Exposed to Ciel...

He could not decided if such things were for better or for worse.

Ciel sat in his drawing room as he awaited for the unpleasant reentrance of his unexpected guest. He sat in a large satin arm chair dyed a thickening maroon, both of his slim child-like legs draped over the arm of his crimson throne. The book he was reading prior to the arrival of Alois was cupped most delicately in his firm hands as if he was holding a small infant. Lightly, he flipped the pages basking in the essence of fictitious pleasantries, soft scenery glistening most eloquently within the contents of his head. The depiction of majesty that flowed into his mind as the prose silently echoed within his ears, he was in the utmost state of ecstasy at the wording and prose. A slave of poetry, the works greater than one could ever imagine...

Nothing could have possibly irked Ciel Phantomhive in that singular, fond elusively powerful moment of luxurious vindication in his mindset although he was pushed and pulled into havoc with the surprising visit from Alois. He was atop of the world despite the chaos. On a crestfallen, gloomy day such as this, where it was an idealistic time to lay back, a time where one could just dive into a good book and immerse themselves in elegant literary genius. Ciel was most disappointed he could not spend the entirety of the day doing just that, that because of certain obligations that had arose lackadaisically... Lackadaisically as a bull in a china shop, more-or-less.

Ciel had mixed feelings about the other earl, which were almost as manic depressive as the blonde himself. At one point, he actually could manage to enjoy his spastic company yet too long bearing it got on his nerves- and once and a while it was vice versa entirely within that situation. He could despise the company for the longest while but then, it grew to him and he felt at ease knowing he could deal with the situation better than before. He could not tell if what he felt towards another was pity and thats why he didn't chase him out... Or if it was annoyance that he would not be finishing his book and Ciel no clue when he could resume it once again within all the mountains of business ventures that he would be buried beneath soon enough once the heavy rain let up.

Yet, it was always raining in the scape of Ciel's mind.

What he informed his butler prior settled in his mind, and he curled his nose in disgust a bit. Ciel didn't know what he felt disgust about though. Was it what he had said himself, and the disgust registered from second thoughts? But why on earth would the Queen's Guard Dog ever reconsider on a matter? Perhaps he had told Sebastian all of those things to delude himself and his butler, for that matter, into thinking that he was stronger than he looked. Perhaps Ciel secretly enjoyed these visits from the other. Sebastian was quite irritating when he wanted to be, making his company atrociously wretched.

He was pulled from the contents of his book when he heard what was usually the opening of a door. Ciel watched with disdain as Alois Trancy, smile beaming on his slimmed face leaping through with much extravagance.

"Ciel!" Alois uttered the name with such ecstatic vigor as Ciel gaped in horror at what the fellow earl was wearing-

"M-my knee socks..." He muttered quite painfully, snapping his book shut. He tightened his features in a cringe, remotely trying to keep it together. This was Sebastian no doubt, placing his clothes in the guest room beforehand... Just in case _it_ came along...

And it did, of course. It- he arrived.

Alois must have heard Ciel's whispers, for he himself peered down at azure cotton that covered his calves, "Oh, you mean these drab things? Do they come from your closet? Figures, Ciel, you never had much of a proper taste in fashion."

Ciel resisted the urge to kick Alois in his knobby little knees.

Instead, he cocked his head a bit and forced a delicate smirk on his mouth; the closest he'd ever get to smiling, no doubt, "Well, maybe I just don't fancy attention as much as you do," the little earl placed his book on the table, smirk soon faded right along with Alois's own widened grin.

Uh-oh.

Alois, who Ciel assumed was going to either begin hysterically bawling or at least attempt to strike him back, physically or verbally, just plopped himself down on the couch next to the blue-haired boy who was sat most comfortably in his chair and laughed and laughed and laughed. Alois thought his ribs would crack apart he cackled so hard instead of taking offense. He wouldn't care what Ciel said, nothing that the little brat uttered would ruin his time.

Alois wiped his eyes and sighed, leaning against the cushions, "You're _too_ _funny_ , Ciel." Then for the second time in mere moments the smile he had exquisitely donned dropped right off of his face entirely, "But call me an attention whore again and I'll wring your scrawny little neck~!" He leaned across the arm of the velet sofa and leaned his lips next to Ciel's ear. "Autoerotic asphyxiation might be to your liking...~"

Ciel leaned back, hand over his mouth which was attempting to conceal the deepened blush embedded within his cheeks. He was an impasse for his true feelings for the other. He hated the other. He was vulgar, obnoxious, and futile. Yet he adored the other, he was quick-tongued, witty, and was always honest. He could not place what he felt, for there was a sickening sensation sparking in his stomach as the other spoke such... Ghastly words.

"No need for threats... I _was_ correct after all," Ciel said dryly, not even facing the other. He still had his pride and Ciel Phantomhive would not have it sullied by ill bred remarks, "You can't get enough, desperate for reaction." Just as Alois was about to speak, Phantomhive put up a hand in interjection, "Save the trivial taunting for another time, yes?"

Alois slumped his shoulders, a tad bit upset that he could not carry on out through flirtatious dominance. "I suppose so," he sighed breathily, moving away. The warmth of the other as he happened to be so close faded with the snappy order, making Ciel a bit bothered, guilty even, that he had barked so viciously at the other.

"I have ordered Sebastian to make us tea for the time being. That will hold you over until it is lunch?" Ciel asked the question considerately, running one finger up and down the spine of his thick leather bound tome that he placed upon his table. The rough material that rested upon his single finger pad was soothing, to simply press down upon the leather in a tedious manner instead of forcing himself to look at the earl, with his doll-like features. The silky blonde hair combed so charmingly around his skinny yet well nourished face. His cheeks were rosy and his eyes were like the eyes in a hurricane, calming, but o so blue. Alois's lips were small and cherubic and something about these fond features made Ciel want to just lock the older boy up in a shelf for his private viewing for the rest of days...

But how perverted and absolutely impossible that would be.

You see, this was where Ciel was absolutely indecisive about the entire matter of his opinion of Alois Trancy. There was just something about him that was intoxicating altogether and he could not just let go and decide if he had despised the other. It felt wrong not to hate him but it felt even worse to do just that. To put it into perspective, he was confused by what he was feeling and honestly he was to distracted with all that was going on around him to even try to sit down and self medicate the problem, to sit down and contemplate what he felt, but alas there no time.

Alois nodded his pretty little head as Ciel tore his eyes off the book to gaze back up at those two azure orbs that hung so eloquently at him, "That'll be fine, Ciel." He stated calmly and then spontaneously sat up and shuffled over to where the little earl was sitting, putting his nimble hands on the other and yanking him up with a short laugh.

"Ciel! Lets play a game!" He requested it in a tone that made it hard for Ciel to even put him down on the matter.

Ciel put both hands on his hips and tapped his foot a bit, "How childish you are, Lord Earl..." He mused testily, arching a brow.

"Oh come now, Ciel. Just because you are not having a proper childhood doesn't mean you can't tryyyy," he tugged Ciel's arm a bit, trying to push him along, "There's always time for teaaaa, come plaaaaaaay with me Ciellllll~"

He purposely said such mawkish things in a childish voice for the remote comedic affect. Ciel couldn't help but smirk just a small bit. He might as well live in the moment and right now, presently, there was no tea in that moment and only Alois's pathetic suggestion.

He was positive Sebastian and whatever-his-name-was could take surely take a hint.

"I'll play a game with you as long as you stop whining," Ciel sighed, crossing his arms lightly and with his hesitant reply Alois clapped his hands together delightedly, giggling with excitement. "What shall we play Ciel? Chess? Checkers? Chinese Checkers? I'm sure you have an extensive majority of games which are provided by your company... Funtom, isn't it?"

With his ramblings, Ciel's eye twitched and brought up the first best game that came to arise atop of his head that would keep him under control lest Alois triggered his temper and awoke a sleeping beast that lay dreaming so densely within the contents of his enclosed cave.

"What about hide-and-seek?" Ciel offered down upon the table, and Alois, who saw no wrong with his inquiry let his eyes light up like two blue wicker candles.

"Alright!" He nodded in agreement, "but I get to count, Ciel," Alois had little faith that Ciel would try to find him. Then again, he knew full-well that Ciel hated to lose.

That dampened Ciel's spirit, if Alois was the one who hid first, perhaps Ciel could have gone back to his book and simply claim he forgot about the game altogether. It was more than unfortunate, but Alois was much more smarter than Ciel liked to give him credit for. Either way though, Ciel knew this manor inside and out, perhaps he could find a most suitable place to hide out for the time being and finish his book. He began to pick up his tome and was about to leave-

"What is the book for, Ciel? That's not any fun. You're not planning to ditch me, are you?"

"It will be awfully boring while I am waiting possibly hours on end for you to come across where I intend to hide." Ciel stated simply, his words laced with smugness.

"You're awfully keen on a victory,"

"I do not lose,"

"Is that right, Cieeeel~?"

"Ciel."

"What?"

"Do not prolong my name. I am not 'Seeeeee-eeellll' I am Ciel. You sound like my fiancé,"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Quite,"

"How so?"

"You are not my fiancé,"

Alois raised his brows and placed both hands on his hips most sassily, "I could be,"

With those directly insinuative words, Ciel could _feel_ the redness burning upon his face, his ears, dying it all burgundy in a large flustered mess. "I-I-I- Er- Uhm-" he couldn't even manage to get out comprehendible words out from his lips, it was just a repeated amount of squeaks and little sputtery noises.

"Aweeeee, is the wittle puppy lost fwor woorrrrds~?" Alois teased, tousling Ciel's hair roughly. Ciel recollected himself at this baiting comment and smacked the taller earl's hand off of his blueish locks. "Enough of you," he hissed, "Count to a hundred, you sleazy bastard-" He pushed past Alois with much frustration. Suddenly he paused, malicious smile laced on his face,

"Say, why don't we make a little wager, hm?"

Alois perked up a blonde brow with this suggestion, he crossed his arms, head cocked. "What kind of wager-" he snapped his fingers, "Ooo! I have one Ciely!"

"Don't call me that." Ciel barked, pinching the bridge of his nose in a superior manner. "What is it, Alois?" he just prayed it was nothing to far out.

"How about..." Alois tackled the other, pinning him up on the couch although Ciel was hollering and trying so hard to pry him off in a whiny fit of protest. Alois kept him down, though, head leaned down, hovering over Ciel's own bluish eyes. His hair fell downward onto the other, as if it were a willow tree, cascading the two of them in lovely, secluded shade. "...The loser has to be the winners slave for the rest of this visit and next...?" Alois offered the terms lightly, his voice awfully singsongy and curled.

Ciel stared up at him with a bewildered expression, the thought of having a slave somewhat lost its appeal considering the two of them already had demonic manservants chained to their sides for all of their lives until they decided it time to rip out their souls from their bodies and dine on them. The thought of losing of course.. Seemed impossible. Absolutely impossible to Ciel. There was no way he could lose, he always won.

Alois. Alois Trancy a slave. _His_ slave.

Now, Ciel wondered how that could work. His sadistic mind flooding with twisted ideas... Yes... Get him all flustered in his little bugger pants and then... Chuck him out the door~!

It sounded reasonably pleasurable to Ciel. He then reached over and shook Alois's thin, dainty hand. Alois smiled brightly; there was no way he was going to let the other win, of course. "You'll make a nice treaaat~" Alois cooed and once again he had Ciel in a vulnerable postition as a light pink color flooded onto his face once more. Ciel than dashed from the room limbs all stiff as he exited the room leaving Alois to howl with laughter, the boisterous noise countering greatly with the haphazard thunder that rumbled with much malice in the darkening sky.

Ciel blandly sighed as he examined his homestead for an adequate place to conceal himself for the short duration of their trivial game-

Trivial, was that the correct adjective to use to define this situation? Was any game to partook considered trivial if the earl of Phantomhive and all his eerie finesse was involved? Ciel was determined to defeat Alois in any game no matter how pointless. He would not let the other sully a single ounce of his unprecedented amount of pride. He would ordain victory, per usual.

Alois would be his slave or whatever have you.

Little did Ciel know, Alois was a dirty cheat.

The earl of Trancy stalked the blue-haired boy from the shadows, his feet light as he had removed his heels that usually went a click-a-clack upon the hardwood floors of such a manner. Now just in deep mauve socks he slid upon the wooden surfaces, not a sound to be made as he watched Ciel begin to climb up the steps.

Alois quickly hid behind the staircase as Ciel trudged upward with a most graceful demeanor, brows pinched together as if he was thinking extremely hard where to hide himself from the other. The blonde found it quite adorable how dedicated Ciel was over this childish little game in which Alois manipulated him into partaking. Ciel altogether was quite attractive, except for that mouth of his, he absolutely had no filter whatsoever, and did not comprehend the consequences of his words and how they could affect people. Yes, Ciel was attractive though, to say the least.

He fascinated Alois.

As soon as Ciel had turned the corner, Alois got on his hands and knees and he himself began to climb the steps... Yet the method he used to tone down the level of noise he made resembled much of how a toddler would go up the stairs. Alois didn't care in the slightest, of course, considering he was cheating altogether. He wouldn't let Ciel have the satisfaction of winning, the boy already had an incredibly inflated ego that remarkably was most possibly larger than the entire city of London itself.

"Sir, might I inquire what you are doing?"

Alois froze in sheer horror as he turned himself around to see Ciel's butler, head cocked, gloved fingers pressed together a sinister smile placed on his face; one he could not fathom Claude ever bearing upon his ruggedly stoic features.

Alois stood, praying Ciel could not hear them- it was bad enough his butler caught him cheating but if Ciel ever found out he'd never hear the end of it, no doubt. He tightened his muscles and clenched his jaw as he prepared himself to concoct someway to excuse the positively bizarre way he was traveling up the stairs.

"You see, I was-" Alois realized there was no reason to lie to the butler in the first place, it wasn't like Sebastian couldn't do anything that was against his wishes considering he was indeed the guest within the Phantomhive household. The taller earl countered Sebastian's grin with a wider, much more attractive gaping smile that stretched across his face. "I was merely going to scare him...!"

What Alois said was true. He intended to scare Ciel... With his master hide-and-seek skills... There was only a minuscule amount of cheating going on but... It would still surprise the other that he indeed had lost. Something the other couldn't bear to accept... It would drive Ciel crazy... Oh yes...

Losing was not what drove Alois to the point of insanity, though. Alois Trancy had a different infatuation that he liked to keep in check- more like two infatuations. They were worth much more than any moralistic or egotistical pride or any materialistic items... Oh yes...Two things that were absolutely one of a kind within themselves. Irreplaceable.

His Claude.

His Ciel.

Even if Claude was a disloyal bastard, Alois always... _Always_... Had Ciel.

Sebastian found a deepening smirk was plastered upon his raven-like features, his sable hair swept neatly, curving the sides of his paled, slim cheeks. "I presume I should not bring out tea then, if you, sir and the young master are planning to be childish for the remainder of your visit?"

"There is nothing wrong with being childish, _butler_ ," Alois informed him snippily, taken aback from the servants tone as he found it to be majorly condescending. "Your Ciel hasn't had much time to be one and I find that dreadfully disappointing. Every child, at _least_ once, needs to feel like one despite the responsibility pummeling down on them. Or else they will have a very warped expectation of others, especially children, in the future."

Sebastian was a bit- well, that was an understatement- Sebastian was _very_ surprised at how wise Alois could be at times. Especially since all the young master did was complain about what a complete and utter nuisance he usually was. The master of course, was always a bit alienated when it came to fellow aristocrats. He didn't want anything to do with any people like that in the long haul despite the fact he was forced to accommodate them on business ventures and financial expansions on his own company.

But of course, then there were people such as Alois Trancy, or even Prince Soma Asman Kadar for that matter, nobles who dropped in from time to time looking for a grand time with Ciel despite all of his wishes to be left alone to his work. They were what one could assume to be... _Friends_...?

Alois seemed like something more even, though his darling young master had loathsome protests. He could be something if the bluenette boy lifted the cascading veil of stubbornness that the young master frequently liked to shield himself behind from the outside world and all of its many empathetic and all the more humanly feelings.

Sebastian bowed his head, accepting the others most interesting ideals into his mind, "Very good sir, do not hesitate to call on me if you and the young master wish for some sort of refreshments or assistance." With one last smile, the black clad butler turned on his heel and carried down the steps, not paying any mind to the fact Alois was still on all fours.

Alois, now a bit irritated because he was sure it was far past a hundred since the butler stopped him. Stood up on the steps and began to climb them normally... Perhaps his intrusion was something that Ciel had planned, knowing he would most likely cheat? But was that not cheating as well? Whatever. Even if Ciel had brought forth his butler because he had eyes everywhere, it needn't matter in the slightest. Alois would win. The stakes the two had set were too high and much too precious to not win.

He had now reached the second floor of the manor and he followed the path he assumed Ciel had taken from the noises and memory. He was trying very hard to memorize which way he had heard the earl go before his bastard butler decided to pop his nose into their business. Claude wouldn't have done that. Claude would've just stayed away from the guests unless it was time to have a meal. Claude knew where he stood; this butler, Michaelis? He was almost like an equal to Ciel and honestly, it was a tad bit disgusting.

Alois first went into the others sleeping quarters. Swiftly, he examined all the possible hiding places, even taping around for something that could exact to a secret passage or hidden hallway, for he would not have Ciel win... He really didn't feel like relinquishing himself to anyone in the moment.

He continued his search, quite determined to find the other, and the more time ticked by, the more nervous he was. Perhaps Ciel wouldn't actually make him-

Oh God, why did he ever have to bring up such dumb idea for a wager... Why'd _he_ have to go digging up the past? Why did he have to let Ciel agree to terms that were so utterly idiotic and downright _stupid_.

Alois was so entranced by the pure ambition of victory that he forgot altogether that he could lose. There was a good chance he could still win of course... R-right?

He now paced around the library, heart beating out of his chest, palms sweaty as he clenched them tightly. Quickly now, he dashed back and forth, trying very hard to contain himself, trying his best not to tear all the books off the walls in his complete utter frustration and peril.

He was free from slavery.

 _He had to win, he had to win, he had to win._

Alois collapsed to the floor, holding his head, regretting entirely what he had done... There was no taking it back of course... A deal was a deal and he just simply could not find Ciel... He was muddled and the room swayed back and forth. The rapider his heart beat, the more the library spun, the more stressed he was over the matter, the harder the hyperventilating occurred...

Soon came the tears and Alois hugged his knees while ugly, sniveling sobs squirted out of his eyes. He- He could not find anyone... He could not deal with this. He did not know how to deal with this. He felt helpless...

Little did Alois know, Ciel was concealed behind a bookshelf, watching it all play out.

Naturally, Ciel Phantomhive would have reveled in the others pain- his _enemies_ pain... But this... Something about the setting and the timing and the way the other was hurt was something that even the cold canine of the Queen could not even bare to stand to view for his own pleasure. Something about Alois, huddled over himself, crying whilst in the middle of an anxiety attack... It was unflattering to begin with... But it was almost as if the blonde had gone back into his mind, back into a child-like state... Back into a most nostalgic horror show in which he could not free himself...

Ciel knew full well how he felt, for his own childhood was not pretty, to say the least. Ever so slowly, in a very quiet manner, Phantomhive slid out from behind the bookshelf, creeping over to the other in a gently somber manner... Pity washed over the beach of his mind, the waves of such flooding emotion were crashing most lugubriously onto his shore...

As he sat down next to the other who barely even recognized his presence, there wasn't the slighest bit of melancholy in the next action of the smaller earl as he enveloped Alois, pulling the jittery mess that was the earl of Trancy into his lap. Instantly, most definitely on instinct, Alois buried his head in Ciel's shoulder, gripping the others clothes tightly as he cried.

Suddenly, the identity of his comforter was soon revealed in the blondes mind and he looked up at the other, snot dribbling down his face most hideously.

"C-c-ciel... I-I..." he stuttered the words and Ciel could not help but don a sincere smirk at the other as he whipped out a handkerchief, beginning to wipe away the nasal excretion that stained Alois's face.

"You found me," Ciel said simply with a slight shrug, physically, he would comfort Alois, but he was much too stubborn to actually be soft within his words, to give the other the benefit of the doubt even if he was coming out of an attack of some sort was something Ciel considered far too moral for his own good. "I was getting quite bored you know," his words were dry, but you could somewhat hear the softness that he was so used to lacking. "I suppose sometimes if the other player is too inept to continue... Forfeiting becomes a highlighted option? Hm?"

Alois smiled thankfully, knowing full well that this was the extent of Ciel's compassion. They said no more, Alois was wrapping his hands around the others neck tightly, laughing silently to himself at how right this felt. Ciel even had his hands placed around the others waist in a snug spooning-like manner.

The rain now lightly splattered down, the sun slowly rolling outwards as now the clouds were beginning to fade away, almost as if they were forfeiting the darkness they had a hold upon the English sky.

"The s-suns out," Alois croaked, nodding his head towards the window. "Rare, a-ain't it, Ciel?"

Ciel looked over himself, the smirk not even fading, for it was a sincere, genuine leer, the best he could manage, after all. The small earl got up and began to seat himself in the window once he found the other much more calmer than he previously was. "Very much so... It always seems to be raining here... Always gloomy... I guess a little sun will do us good, no?"

"I'd think so," Alois replied, and he got up and followed the other, watching the rain dwindle down into light droplets. He sat on the edge, knees scrunched up to his chest.

He let his hand slip atop of Ciel, who said nothing.

Slowly, as the sun rose even more to view, without hoping that Alois would notice, Ciel gripped his hand against the other.

Alois obviously noticed, of course. There was nothing he didn't notice anymore now that he had the power over Ciel to do what he wanted.

"I'd never thought you'd do that..." Alois whispered with a kind smile, leaning his head on the other.

"You'd be surprised what I'm capable of," Ciel replied, basking in the warmth of the blonde.

"I bet,"

And they sat frozen in a singular moment, watching the world move around them...

Never wishing for such a precious moment to end.

 _"The bark and then the bite,_  
 _Which will please you more?_  
 _My snapping jaw will sustain you for the nigh_  
 _But honest words can hold you with me forevermore."_


End file.
